stolen
by catoandkat4ever
Summary: There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you.


_Stolen_

I should be feeling strong, powerful and in control. There were only three of us left and this was the crucial last fight on top of the cornucopia, which was surrounded by the tribute mutts. One wrong step and you could be sent down towards the blood-thirsty mutts who thought they were avenging their own deaths. I was the one in the place of power with my bow and arrows aimed towards my opponents.

I should feel safe and protected. It was not my life that was in jeopardy right now, it was theirs; one bow and they would be sent crashing towards their deaths. Yet why was I the one feeling the pain, the anguish? They were the ones who were engaged in the fight, none of them had even dared to touch me. I was safe, watching all the action while they were battling to stay alive. They were the ones who were injured, their wounds bleeding and blood _pouring_ out it. But it was killing me….

Both of them wanted me to get out alive, no matter what fate they would endure. They thought they were protecting me. But by doing what? Fighting each other to death while making me watch? Their wounds were just physical; they could heal easily leaving nothing but a scar. It was my wounds that were more perilous. By making me watch them fight, they were unknowing torturing me. It was mental torture, the kind of torture which was always alive in the back of your mind no matter how hard you try to forget it...

This is it. It's now or never. I raise my bow and aim at both of them. I always knew that this time was going to come; I knew that I would be the one to make this choice and it was one thing I could not run away from regardless of how hard I tried. But what I didn't know was how hard this choice would be.

There was Peeta, the boy with the bread whose unselfishness I could never truly understand. The one who had saved me and my family from starving even though I was nothing to him, the one who had done everything he could to protect me, the one who I was forever indebted to. We were the star-crossed lovers of district 12. For me it was nothing but a big drama for sponsors but for Peeta, every bit of it was real.

Then there was Cato, the beastly boy from district 2. He was conceited, smug, and arrogant and short- tempered. To the world, both of us were enemies who were hell bent on killing each other. The choice was so easy; I would obviously choose my first love. But what the rest of the world didn't know was that Cato _was_ my first love. It had all changed the silent, dark night when I discovered that there was more to him than the ruthless and cold side which he showed the world. We had poured our hearts out that night, telling each other things that we had so long suppressed to ourselves. He was an assassin, I was a martyr. We were totally different yet just like each other.

I faced both of them, not letting my emotions penetrate the emotionless mask I had mastered over the years. Peeta might be one of the best wrestlers in our school but even he didn't stand a chance against Cato, who had spent 10 years mastering such skills. I wince as I see Cato's grip tighten and he was ready to snap it any moment.

There were times when I felt nothing but despise for him…. And this was one of those moments. The way he used to kill without even a hint of remorse or guilt in his eyes, which reflected only harshness and barbarism. But I couldn't blame it entirely on him; it was the austere conditions in which he was raised to kill were to be held responsible.

As much as I loved Cato, I didn't want Peeta to die either. I was still in perplexity when I saw a cross made my Peeta indicating me to hit there. Time was ticking away with every moment I spent thinking. Maybe that was it, I was not thinking properly.

I closed my eyes and sent the arrow speeding towards its next target, I had not bothered to take an accurate aim but I knew that it would it. I was regretting it the moment I left the quiver, half hoping that it would somehow miss.

And it happens, just like that. In less than 5 seconds, the worst and the best thing that ever happened to me is taken away. Peeta had taken advantage of the situation and had now pushed Cato down. I fall down on my knees, hardly bearing Cato's agonized screams and the eager howls of the mutts. I could literary feel my body shattering. My eyes getting watery and can feel strong pangs in my chest. It was like someone was hammering from inside me. I snapped myself back to reality. This was no time to be a weak, shattered girl

I run towards the edge of the cornucopia and am ready to jump down but a pair of bloody hands stops me from doing so.

"Let me go!" I cry, kicking my legs and hands trying to get out of Peeta's grasp. He covers his hands over my mouth, telling me to stay quiet and that there was nothing I could do now. His attempt to pacify me seemed to be working. I had stopped kicking and brawling. But then I smelt the blood on his hands. It was Cato's blood…._my _Cato's blood.

"Murderer!" I shout and elbow him, forcing him to let go of me. He seems to be in shock to even say anything

My breathing rate has gone incredibly high, it's like they is something captivated inside waiting to burst out open. Maybe it was grief or maybe it was anger or maybe even frustration but all I knew at that moment was that Cato was gone. He was somewhere fighting while the mutts tried to devour him. He had armor but the mutts were too powerful for even him. I am about to jump when Peeta catches me and slams me onto the metal cornucopia.

"Look Katniss, I don't know why you are so worried about that sad excuse for a human being or why you are so angry at me. All I know is that both of us are alive and may even win this thing. So you might as well be happy! Both of us love each other and that is the way it is going to stay" he snaps clearly annoyed of my behavior.

This was not the Peeta I knew, not the Peeta that I had cared for. If I had any insight of what would happen I would have happily shot him. I stare at him in disgust. _Sad excuse for a human being_? _Both of us love each other and that is the way it is going to stay?_ Who the hell was he to decide all this?

"You don't even know him! You don't know any of us!" I shout at him, having no power over my emotions as I let the tears flood down my cheeks.

I was devastated, disturbed and shattering from inside. I could see him struggling to stay alive. I wanted to run towards him; hold his hand and tell him that I loved him, always have and always will. Nothing could separate us forever, not even death. But something was stopping me, it was Peeta.

"Shh…..It is going to be all right." His voice softens and he holds me close to his chest. This is the worst possible place to be right now. 'It is going to be all right' he said. _How?_ The definition of all right for me was Cato being safe and happy, with or without me. And at the existing circumstances it was near to impossible.

I think of all the moments with him. It was true that there were only few of them but every second of it was worth it. The stolen glances, the smirks, everything was worth more than a million to me. And now it was being taken from me, stolen from me.

I hear Cato's moans and whines. They are filled with pain, with anguish and agony, with suffering. I just can't take it anymore; I fall into Peeta's arms. Not caring about anything else. I couldn't bear hearing his screams anymore. I feel the rest of the world blur around me; my heartbeat slows and relaxes a bit too much for my liking.

"I love you" I mummer to a boy with blond hair and blue eyes. I had lost all the strength, all my determination, all my will to live. "I love you Cato, forever and always" I mutter for one last time before everything begins to fade and go black with the only sound going on in my head are his screams…..

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**hey ppl, right now i am really confused if i shd kill cato or not so pls go to the poll on my profile and answer..  
**

**Don't forget to press the shiny little button which makes my day and tell him how you feel**

**XOXO**


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